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the River Raisin Battlefield Visitors Center.Click Here To Learn More

OUR NATION'S
"NEWEST" NATIONAL PARKGreat American Rallying Cry:"Remember The Raisin"

The brownish waters
of the River Raisin flow sometimes peacefully, sometimes violently, over
the flood control dams in downtown Monroe, Michigan, formerly known as
Frenchtown, and continue on until they mix with the green waves of Lake
Erie. Looking at the homes, businesses, and industries crowded along the
river's banks, there is little to suggest that this place was once the
central point of a terrible struggle between rival nations...

However, from January 18th to January
23rd, 1813, the north bank of the River Raisin became a battleground
where the forces of the United States and Great Britain fought each
other for the control of all of Michigan and the Lower Great Lakes. At
stake was the destiny not only of the 2 countries (United State and
Great Britain), but
also the future of Frenchtown, (known today as Monroe Michigan) and of Canada, and of Tecumseh's alliance of
Native-American tribes.

The British and Indian victory at the
River Raisin destroyed an entire American army and upset their campaign
to recapture Detroit, which had fallen to the enemy early in the war.
It raised Native-American hopes that their alliance with the British
would result in the preservation of their lands, while it brought grief
to hundreds of families in Kentucky who had lost their sons during the
bloody battle and its aftermath.

While not a decisive turning point of
the war, the Battle of the River Raisin had a significant effect on the
campaign for the Great Lakes. It would take a full 9 months for U.S.
forces to regain their momentum. In the meantime, Frenchtown was laid
waste, and the Ohio frontier was exposed to invasion and raids by the
British and Indians.

Out of the battle of
the River Raisin, came one of the great American rallying cries of the War of
1812,“Remember the Raisin!”

The River Raisin Battlefield was the site of
one of largest engagements during the War of 1812. The battle on January 22, and the
massacre on January 23, 1813 was fought here in Monroe Michigan (formally
Frenchtown) on the northern shore of the River Raisin. Of 934 Americans who fought here, only 33 escaped death or
capture. The massacre of wounded soldiers the following day shocked and
enraged Americans throughout the Old Northwest Territory and "Remember
The Raisin" became the battle cry for the War of 1812.

The displays include
dioramas & full-size British & American soldiers, as well as a
fiber-optic map presentation on the Battle of the River Raisin.